The Language of Looks and Smiles
by Clavel
Summary: ONE SHOT - About Lucas and Maya's thoughts during different times in their relationship. Inspired by a scene in Girl Meets Cory and Topanga. A LUCAYA FIC


_Hello everyone! This fic was entirely inspired by that clip that's floating around from Girl Meets Cory and Topanga. It's a One Shot in Four Parts (or a quad shot as my friend Sandy calls it)._

 _I hope you enjoy it and thanks to Sandy for the editing job ;)_

 _Also, I am working on the next chapter of Walk Me Home, hopefully it will be up soon as well._

* * *

 _ **The Language of Looks and Smiles**_

 **Part One: Maya**

Things changed gradually as they often do. It wasn't really like I was struck by lighting and one moment I didn't like him and then I just did.

The first time I saw him, he smiled at me, which was weird. People don't smile at strangers in the New York subway. But I looked again, and he smiled again.

I went up to him, talking a mile a minute and then just walked away. He frowned.

I didn't even ask his name.

… … …

I spent the first year of our friendship making fun of him. I don't think I even called him my friend those first twelve months, but I teased him. Boy, I teased him.

There were all the cowboy jokes – which he always took with a smile just to infuriate me – and my comments about his good nature. And he made it so easy sometimes, and sometimes he was toying with me – wearing a cowboy hat to a school dance, bringing a harmonica to class, showing me a 'rope trick' that left me tied in Riley's window for hours.

But I could never break him. He took all the names I came up with, the 'harr hurrs' I shouted in his face (almost) without flinching and was such a good sport about it.

God, the look he gave me when I asked him out in the seventh grade. It was so hard to keep a straight face then.

But he was smart, and figured out what I really meant was for him to finally ask Riley out.

I admit, I ruined their date – I didn't mean to, but I saw Josh in the subway with another girl and my heart broke a bit. Lucas knew and he asked Riley to hang out with me.

Their first date was over before it could start. And all I got for my troubles was Farkle kissing my hand.

… … …

Whenever Riley freaked out about him, I told her to calm down. It didn't matter if it was because Lucas forgot to ask her to the semi-formal, because they didn't know what to do in the aftermath of that date I ruined… or because Zay showed up and cued us in to Lucas' less-than-stellar past; I calmed her down.

I would never admit it, but we were better when he was around. So I made sure he stayed around.

… … …

We went through a lot of stuff that second year of friendship. Things changed. Gradually. Like they always do.

By the time I noticed things were shifting, we had already changed lanes. Heck, we were probably in a different highway and clear across the country.

They were threatening to cut art class.

Lucas said: "You're a great artist, Maya" while looking me straight in the face… and I couldn't look away.

For the first time ever, I couldn't look away.

… … …

When I knew? For real?

Farkle hit me with a paper ball. I was going to kill Farkle.

Not sooner had I stood up than I found him blocking my way, his hands at my waist. He turned me gently, took my shoulders and made me sit down again.

I twisted in my seat to yell at him. But he grinned… and I had to turn away.

* * *

 **Part Two: Lucas**

Maya made me smile.

She always had.

When she walked up to me and said "Hi, I'm Maya! You are really cute." And the proceeded to date me and dump in in the same sentence. All in under five seconds.

I was confused. But I smiled.

… … …

At first, it wasn't easy to be friends. I was reeling from moving, and trying to hide the stuff I had done back in Austin. Stuff I wasn't proud of.

I wanted to be a new, better person. A person someone like Riley Matthews would like. So I became that person. And I was good at it, too.

But, Maya? She teased me every day. She jumped on my back when I almost went off at Billy for bullying Farkle. Clued me in when Smackle tried to use me to make Farkle jealous.

She also called me moral compass, went to both the debate team events and baseball games, pitched for my team in P.E. and became my Secretary of State when I won class president in seventh grade.

… … …

When Zay first moved to New York, I was nervous.

I didn't want to regress into the jerk who got into fights and tried to solve everything with his fists. Once upon a time, it had been fun to be that guy… until it wasn't anymore.

When (some) of the past came out, Maya didn't care. Riley freaked out, but Maya didn't care.

It was probably the worst few days I had had in a good long while, but Maya? She kept trying to make me smile, making bad jokes about me birthing a horse.

She didn't know she didn't need to try. Most of the time, she didn't even have to be talking to me to get me to smile.

Heck, I spent most of eighth grade smiling at the back of her head.

… … …

The look on her face when I called her "a short, little stack of pancakes" made me a little sick with myself. But I hadn't known it was such a big deal.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved to find out she wasn't mad at Riley and not me, but I apologized anyway.

And when Zay asked me why I let her call me all those names, I really didn't know what to say.

… … …

That time we all got detention? I think that's the first time I understood that she got me.

We were the first to go a little nuts after Mr. Matthews locked us in the classroom.

"I'm hungry." I said.

"I know Ranger Rick. I'm a little hungry too."

"And it's not like a regular kind of hungry, right?"

"No, this one is deep." She said.

Was it really a wonder I followed her out of the room instead of staying with Riley and 'the good guys'?

Without even realizing it, I picked Maya's side. I let her put war paint on my face.

Things were more exciting around her. Especially when she grabbed my shirt and put us face to face, if only to say I was like 'that little lamb Mary had'.

Yeah, it was the first time I realized she got me, even if she wouldn't call me Mad Dog.

… … …

It was really a split second, right after Maya said "I've always known your name." and before she turned to Riley and Farkle and added, "I like us all very much."

She smiled at me. Our eyes held for a beat too long and a grin split my face.

… … …

At first, I tried to pretend things weren't changing.

I even had to gall to look at her and tell her we weren't dancing at the Semi-Formal. Sure, we were mostly jumping together and circling each other, but that's what passes for dancing in eighth grade, okay?

"I hate to break it to you, cowboy, but you're still dancing with me." Maya said.

She was the girl I danced with the most, and by the end of the night, I was glad about that.

… … …

Telling Maya I thought she was a great artist was easier than I thought. Looking at her when Zay said I called her "The Blonde Beauty" when I talked about her with my friends? That was much harder.

"Oh," She said. "Oh." She repeated softly and looked at me.

I looked at her. Bit my lip. And looked away.

But I knew right then, it was clear as day.

* * *

 **Part Three: Maya**

After a while, I couldn't even pretend not to notice how in sync we were: we both liked comics, baseball and sloppy joes.

We both thought Riley was adorbs.

We finished each other's sentences.

We both wanted to protect our friends more than anything.

He had a political conscience. I was trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to say to the world.

He always got what I meant.

Lucas looked at me and smiled. He always smiled. Most of the time it was small, like he hadn't meant to smile. Like it was a surprise – I loved those smiles best…

I loved him: Ranger Rick Huckleberry Mc Boing Boing.

I loved Lucas Friar.

I tried to hide it at first; but love…it's not the kind of thing you can hide for long.

One day he leaned in too close while we talked. One day I hid my face in his shoulder, trying to block the horror movie we were watching at Riley's. One day he put his scarf around my neck because it was too cold out and I had forgotten mine.

One day Lucas grabbed my hand when rush hour at the subway threatened to pull us apart and then he didn't let go.

* * *

 **Part Four: Lucas**

She grinned so wide when I didn't let go of her hand. She looked up at me and I saw in her eyes all the things I wanted to tell her but I hadn't figured out how.

So I leaned down and kissed her smile. And I wanted to kiss Maya for the rest of my life.

I thank God everyday that I can. That I get to look at her every day, that she smiles at me every day. That I'm still holding her hand, and that I can kiss her whenever I want.


End file.
